Topic 1 - intoduction to the British Empire Flashcards
what are the strengths and weaknesses of the British empire by 1857?
Strengths:
- Military = the Royal Navy advanced to steam ships which protected Britain, colonies and trade routes. The British Army was also well trained and well equipped.
- Emmigration = rapid economy development encouraged population growth ——> 19 million emigrated between 1815 and 1930
- Economy = highest point of its commercial and industrial power by 1870. GNP was higher than Russia and China combined. Accounted for half the world trading textiles and metal manufactured goods. The world’s financial centre: provided a market for every colonial product.
- Spread of Christianity
Weaknesses:
- Imperial = Britain had huge industrial, commercial and naval advantages in 1857 but it was likely rivals would challenge these. The population of the USA ( 31 million ) passed the UK ( 29 million ) by 1860. This was a paternalistic doctrine.
- moral to arguments
what does ‘ balance of power’ mean?
An equal distribution of economic and military strength among rival countries or group of countries. The objective of maintaining this balance was to prevent any single nation or group of nations from becoming powerful enough to dominate the continent.
which countries were under colonies of settlement?
- Canada
- Australia
- New Zealand
- West Indian Islands
Which countries were under crown colonies?
- India
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Malaya
- West Africa
- Ceylon
which countries were under informal empire?
- China
- Middle east
- Argentina
- Uruguay
- Latin America
which countries were under mandates?
- India
- Territory of Turkey and Germany post-war
Why did the Empire expand in the 19th century?
- trade and economy = British merchants had traded with West Africa since the 1500s, usually golden ivory. When Britain outlaw the slave trade in 1807, they had ever seen the exportation by force of 3 million Africans to work in American colonies on British plantations. The expansion of Africa was due to trade from discovery of minerals and resources. Coal, iron and timber was sought in Africa to feed demands of the British industry.
- strategic factors = Britain’s coastal interests in West Africa demanded protection: a string force was built along the Gold Coast. Coastal defences were built in Sierra Leone and Gambia. In the establishment of a colony, in Africa, the temperature climate and deep water park in Cape held advantages over the harbour.
- Adventure and exploration = by 1857, most of Africa has been added to European maps. The cost of Congo river was chatted by 1867.
- Personal Influence = merchant imperialist capitalised on new commodities. Victorian explorers sought and traded the continents waterways, publishing the findings and producing maps (Africa)
- Moral factors = many British living in the Victorian era had ‘strong moral principles’. in the 1860s Christian missionaries saw it as there ‘moral’ duty to spread their faith along non-Christians?
What is an informal empire?
an area where a country has a sphere of influence normally due to commercial or strategic interests
what is a crown colony?
A country controlled by the British Parliament of British trading companies.
What is a colony of settlement?
Found it and settled by people of British Empire/origin.
How did the Empire lose North American colonies?
by the 18th century, Britain had a number of well established colonies along the east coast of North America. However, due to the taxes imposed by the British Parliament, this led to a war led by George Washington in 1775 known as the American revolutionary war. Britain were defeated in 1783 and the former colonies joined the United States of America under the declaration of Independence.
what is the swing to the east?
The end of the Empire in the American continent letter looking for influence in Asia and Africa
how did the Empire develop pre-1857?
- 1600 = Britain’s East India Company is established when Elizabeth I grants a charter to a ‘company of merchants trading into the east Indies’
- 1607 = colonies establish the first lasting British settlement in the New World, Jamestown. This becomes a major hope for the slave trade.
- 1627 = a British colony is founded in Barbados and within 15 years has 18,000 settlers
– 1696 = Fort StWilliam is built by the east India Company in the ganges Delta and subsequently develops into a Calcutta
– 1757 = Robert Clive defeats the Nawab of Bengal at the Battle of Plassey, and places his own man on the throne. Britain is now dominant European power in India.
– 1763 = and the treaty of Paris, France cedes to Britain all its territory north of the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi River, except the district of New Orleans
– 1769 = captain Cook reaches New Zealand and set off to chart its entire coastline
– 1783 = the United States of America secures independence from Britain after the American Revolution
– 1788 = after a journey of eight months from England the first fleet carrying 750 convicts reaches Australia anchoring in botany Bay
– 1798 = the British acquire a foothold in the Persian golf by making oman a protectorate
– 1820 = the first big influx of British settlers, numbering some 5000, arrives at Cape Town in South Africa
– 1831 = the last surviving Aborigines of Tasmania are moved by the British to a small island where they soon die out
– 1833 = Britain eject the Argentinians from the Falklands and the begins process of settlement with British farmers
- 1839 = a British army invades Afghanistan and installs a puppet ruler, shuja shan as the Afghan amir. However, the locals turn on the Britain and only one soldier of the army survives.
– 1841 = Britain sends far naval ships up the river Niger to make anti-slavery treaties with local kings
- 1842 = the treaty of nanking with China after the opium war grants access to ports in China and cedes Hong Kong to Britain
